1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a laser system mounted on a rotary saw to provide accurate alignment of the saw blade as it cuts a work piece along a specified direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When cutting a work piece, such as a wood piece, the conventional technique is to mark a line on the surface of the piece to enable the operator of a rotary blade saw to follow the line to ensure that an accurate cut is made along the line.
This technique has inherent disadvantages in that following the line during the cutting operation requires the operator to continually observe the line in front of the cutting blade as the blade is pushed along the guidelines. In addition, the prepared line may not be straight, if marked by non-skilled operator, and may be to faint to be observed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,899 to Webb discloses a rotary saw equipped with a laser device, the generated laser beam projecting through a slit in an end cap, the projected beam being in alignment with the cutting blade of the saw. The rotating laser is fed power through a brush arrangement and the sighting laser device is a permanent part of the rotary saw. U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,373 to Blickenderfer discloses a positionary and feed system for cants or boards which includes a device for generating a laser light line. The overall system is very complex and expensive and not adaptable for use as a rotary saw. U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,757 to Caluori et al discloses a cut alignment device for use with a rotary saw and includes a battery powered laser that rotates with the saw blade.
What is thus desired is to provide a simple and cost effective rotary saw having an alignment device.
The present invention provides a rotary saw having a laser beam alignment system. A rotating, multi-sided member having reflecting surfaces formed on each edge, is mounted to one side of the rotating saw blade. A laser device is mounted on the front of the saw guard with a mounting bracket, the beam generated thereby being reflected by the multi-sided member onto a work piece to be cut. The laser beam provides a cutting line to enable the saw user to align the work piece accurately;
The present invention thus provides a simple and cost effective laser alignment system for use with a saw with a rotating blade which can be utilized with newly manufactured saws or retrofitted to existing saws.